College and Research Libraries 82 I College & Research Libraries • January 1975 Many smaller failings-poor copy edit- ing and outright errors-contribute to the impression of a poorly planned, hastily put together work. The New Sabin by no means supersedes Joseph Sabin's monumental Dic- tionary, and in its present form it fails to make a significant contribution of its own to the bibliographical control of Americana. -Doris Ann Sweet, Columbia University Libraries, New York City. Carter, Mary Duncan; Bonk, Wallace John; and ~1agrill, Rose Mary. Building Li- brary Collections. 4th ed. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1974. 415p. This fourth edition of a library school "classic" has grown by some hundred pages yet remains, unsurprisingly, no more than a once-over-lightly of the complexities of acquisitions theory and practice. In an at- tempt to be inclusive it ranges from discus- sion of selection philosophies through de- scription of national and trade bibliogra- phies to a brief analysis of the uses of fan- fold processing slips. As an introduction the text has already proven effective, although its usefulness is limited for experienced li- brarians. The orientation is definitely toward pub- lic libraries, with an emphasis on the vary- ing factors involved in book selection for different types and sizes of user communi- ties. In an informally readable style the text restates commonsense principles and again illustrates that selection is more of an art than a science. Roughly the first half of the book is coverage of general theories while the second half is evenly split between de- scription of acquisition aids and appen- dixes. The considerable portion of the text summarizing features of major bibliograph- ic tools provides useful example entries to illustrate inclusiveness and format. Of course one difficulty with any book which tries to describe current bibliographic sources is that it is almost certain to be out of date by the time of publication. This edi- tion has already missed the metamorphosis of Publishers' Weekly, the fifteenth edition of Ulrich's, and of course the recently an- nounced separation of Library ] ournal and School Library Journal. Discussion of the publishing trade and acquisitions practices is sketchy (e.g., no mention of NPAC), but throughout the book expanded bibliographies at chapter ends recommend a good range of addition- al material and have been brought well up to date. The approximate quarter of the volume devoted to appendixes offers a use- ful assortment of ALA Council statements on the freedom to read and a variety of quotations from book selection policies. Another interesting section is the text of the June 1973 Miller vs. California Supreme Court obscenity decision. Occasional lapses in editing, generally of the typographical variety, are still evi- dent in this new edition. Perhaps it was my misfortune to encounter the only blind cross reference in the index when I chose to look up USEE. However, even these minor slips are regrettable in a text which presumably will be read with close atten- tion by prospective librarians. In summary, the book is fine for its in- tended audience but of limited utility be- yond library school classes.-Karen Horny, Assistant University Librarian for Technical Services, Northwestern University Library, Evanston, Illinois. Schad, Jasper G., and Tanis, Norman E. Problems in Developing Academic Li- brary Collections. New York: Bowker, 1974. 183p. Collection development and acquisitions problems have often been relegated a minor role in library school curricula. The reasons for this vary, but the net result is the same-graduates with little practical, let alone theoretical, basis for action. In an attempt to counter this situation, the au- thors, both library directors, have created thirty case studies based on real situations, ranging from one to twenty pages in length. Superficially viewed, these studies might appear to be lacking in depth and subtlety, but a careful reading proves this not to be the case. Each situation is carefully con- structed to present directly or by inference problems and dilemmas concerning a sur- prisingly broad range of topics. Especially important for the student is the political and economic backdrop against which these problems are cast. Who really implements library policy? What is the proper balance between the academic administration, the library administration, the library staff, the faculty? Who controls the allocation of book funds? Additionally, intralibrary questions of power and respon- sibility are interwoven with classical prob- lems relating to territorial imperatives, ad- versary relationships, tradition, and innova- tion. This, then, is the background on which the concrete problems are displayed. Among the major themes under review are the consequences of approval plans, faculty and/ or library responsibility for book selec- tion, acquisitions policies, rare book/ spe- cial collections versus ordinary needs, bud- get cuts and increases; faculty challenging the relevancy of purchases, and the ques- tion of such axioms as "building on strength." These, and issues such as the in- tellectual prerequisites and perspective of library staff and faculty in collection de- velopment, focus on topics germane to aca- demic librarianship today. Perhaps the most important element in congealing these studies into a coherent whole is the dex- trous interplay of issues and personalities .. The ability to isolate problems and, addi- tionally, to place the problems in a realistic matrix of human interaction demonstrates considerable sensitivity to the forces at work. This is a constructive and provoca- tive book which, hopefully, will find its way into the hands of both students and prac- titioners.-W. Stuart Debenham, ]r., As- sistant Director, Ohio College Library Cen- ter, Columbus. OTHER BOOKS OF INTEREST TO ACADEMIC LIBRARIANS Ackoff, Russell L., ed. Systems and Man- agement Annual 1974. New York: Petro- celli Books, 1974. 620p. $24.95. (74- 6464). (ISBN 0-88405-280-X). Armitage, Andrew D., and Tudor, Dean. Annual Index to Popular Music Record Reviews, 1973. Metuchen, N.J.: Scare- crow, 1974. 681p. (73-8909). (ISBN 0- 8108-0774-2). Bell, Inglis F ., and Baird, Donald. The English Novel, 1578-1956; A Checklist of Twentieth-Century Criticisms. Ham- den, Conn.: Shoe String Press, 1974. 168p. (74-8609). ISBN 0-208-01442-X). Body, Alexander C. Annotated Bibliogra- phy of Bibliographies on Selected Gov- ernment Publications and Supplementary Recent Publications I 83 Guides to the Superintendent of Docu- ments Classification System; 4th Supple- ment. Kalamazoo: Western Michigan University, 1974. 142p. (67-28593). Bull, Storm. Index to Biographies of Con- temporary Composers. v.2. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1974. 567p. $18.50. (64- 11781). (ISBN 0-8108-0734-3). Cambridge Research Institute. Omnibus Copyright Revision; Comparative Analy- sis of the Issues. Washington, D.C.: American Society for Information Sci- ence, 1973. (73-84952). (ISBN 0-87715- 103-2). Clapp, Jane. Professional Ethics and Insig- nia. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1974. 863p. $27.50. (74-10501). (ISBN 0- 8108-0735-1) . Covo, Jacqueline. The Blinking Eye: Ralph Waldo Ellison and His American, French, German and Italian Critics, 1952-1972. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1974. 230p. $6.50. (74-13042). (ISBN 0-8108-0736- X). Davis, Donald G. Comparative Historical Analysis of Three Associations of Profes- sional Schools. (Occasional Papers, no. 115) Urbana, Ill.: Graduate School of Library Science, University of Illinois, 1974. 39p. $1.00. (ISBN 0073-5310). Directory of American Scholars. 6th ed. New York: Bowker, 1974. 4v. $148.50. (57-9125). (ISBN 0-8352-0635-1). Directory of Health Sciences Libraries in th e United States, 1973. Chicago: Amer- ican Medical Assn., 1974. 196p. $15.00. (74-14292). Farber, Evan 1., and Walling, Ruth, eds. The Academic Library: Essays in Honor of Guy R. Lyle. Metuchen, N.J.: Scare- crow, 1974. 171p. $6.00. (74-2098). (ISBN 0-8108-0712-2). Fink, Gary M. Biographical Dictionary of American Labor Leaders. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood, 1974. 559p. $19.95. (74-9322). (ISBN 0-8371-7643-3). Fout, John C. German History and Civili- zation, 1806- 1914; A Bibliography of Scholarly Periodical Literature. Metuch- en, N.J. : Scarecrow, 1974. 362p. (74- 10803). (ISBN 0-8108-07 42-4). Fundaburk, Emma L. Art at Educational Institutions in the United States. Metuch- en, N.J.: Scarecrow, 1974. 670p. (74- 3187). (ISBN 0-8108-0715-7).